SPRINGFIELD - A 19-year-old city man died after he was shot Friday night in what police are saying is a gang-related shooting.

The man, whose name was not being released, was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center shortly after he arrived at the hospital, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m in front of Emily's Market at 176 Eastern Avene. The victim was taken in a private vehicle to State and Catherine Streets, where he was transferred into an ambulance and rushed to Baystate.

Delaney said he was not clear if the person driving the car knew the injured man or was just a passerby trying to help.

Police had Eastern Avenue blocked off at Chapel Street to King Street as detectives scoured the scene for evidence. Several markers could be seen in the road and sidewalk at various points in the blocked off area.

A van parked in the road appeared to have a broken window from being hit by a stray bullet, and police scanned the front facade of Emily's Market searching for other stray bullet holes.

Delaney did not disclose if the victim had been hit more than once.

The victim, he said, was known to police and believed to be involved in gangs. Police consider it to be a gang-related shooting.

A Springfield police detective examines a van at the scene of an Eastern Avenue shooting Friday night. A 19-year-old man was killed in the shooting.The Republican | Patrick Johnson

Eastern Avenue, in Old Hill, is considered a hot spot for gang activity.

The shooting is the city's 10 homicide of the year, and the second in less than a week.
There were 19 homicides in Springfield last year.

Sadeeq Khalid Allah, 38, of Springfield, was stabbed to death in an early morning dispute over drugs Tuesday on Jefferson Street. Edwin Santiago, 29, of Springfield, was arrested and charged with his murder.

Delaney said the two homicides are not related.

The latest victim is the first homicide involving a person younger than age 25 this year.
Last year, nine of the 19 homicide victims were age 24 or younger. In 2010, it was 10 of 16.